Sobering News: ADHD's Impact on Lifespan

Some very sobering news regarding ADHD and life expectancy was recently published by noted ADHD expert, Dr. Russell Barkley. Barkley’s study, “Hyperactive Child Syndrome and Estimated Life Expectancy at Young Adult Follow Up: The Role of ADHD Persistence and Other Potential Predictors” was published in the Journal of Attention Disorders and reveals that, when left untreated, ADHD can significantly reduce life expectancy.

ADHD is fundamentally a disorder of self-regulation that leads to poor self-care and impulsive, high-risk behavior. As a result, individuals with ADHD are more likely than their non-ADHD peers to suffer from obesity and eating disorders (especially binge eating disorder) and to have a higher incidence of dental infections, teen pregnancy, STDs, risky driving, road rage, speeding tickets, tobacco dependency, alcohol abuse, and marijuana use. Because they are more impulsive, often fail to consider consequences, and seek stimulating experiences, children with ADHD are more than three times more likely to visit the emergency room or be admitted to the hospital and more than twice as likely to die during childhood. The trend continues to adulthood; adults with untreated ADHD are almost five times as likely to die relative to their non-ADHD peers.

Using longitudinal data and an algorithm that calculated reduction in life expectancy based on fourteen variables, Dr. Barkley’s findings reveal that individuals who had ADHD as a child had a nine year reduction in life expectancy, while individuals who still met criteria for an ADHD diagnosis at age twenty-seven had a twelve to thirteen year reduction in life expectancy. To put it in perspective, Dr. Barkley notes that ADHD is three times worse than smoking twenty cigarettes a day and more than five times worse than excessive alcohol use in regard to the effect on life expectancy. In fact, the impact of ADHD on life expectancy was found to be worse than the four biggest current health risks in the U.S. combined (smoking, obesity, diabetes, poor diet and exercise). In light of these statistics, Dr. Barkley concluded that ADHD needs to be taken much more seriously as it is “not merely a neurodevelopmental disorder, it is a significant public health issue.”

As alarming as the results of this study are, it is important to note that ADHD is the most treatable mental health disorder in psychiatry. Stimulant medications—in conjunction with coaching, behavior modification, a healthy diet, and regular exercise—can mediate the impact of ADHD and the associated reduction in life expectancy. Getting more sleep, exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, losing weight, reducing alcohol intake, eliminating smoking, and learning to manage emotions can all change the results of the calculations presented in this study and have a positive impact on life expectancy.

Barkley, R. A., & Fischer, M. (2018). Hyperactive Child Syndrome and Estimated Life Expectancy at Young Adult

Follow Up: The Role of ADHD Persistence and Other Potential Predictors. Journal of Attention Disorders.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054718816164